Tosin Adarabioyo’s absence from the Rovers side looks set to be shortlived, with boss Tony Mowbray hopeful the Manchester City loanee could return for the Boxing Day game with Birmingham City.

Adarabioyo sat out the 0-0 draw with Wigan Athletic, as his run of consecutive starts ended at 10, with Derrick Williams returning from a calf problem in time to take his place in the side.

The 22-year-old was a miss, not least with his distribution from defence, despite Rovers holding out for a fourth clean sheet in six matches.

“I would say not very long, I would think,” Mowbray said of Adarabioyo’s absence.

“He might have a chance by Boxing Day, but if not then he’ll be available for Huddersfield.

“I would say that he was a loss with the way he can stand with the ball, stick it through the lines of the opposition and that’s why you play Dack and Rothwell.

“As I’ve spoken about a lot, we’re trying to change the team from one that plays long diagonals in to Danny (Graham) and get the ball to Dack that way.

“But if you have players at the back who can service them, it’s a lot easier to get those sorts of players on the ball.

“We missed that I thought. Playing through their lines, we should have been better, play more forward passes.

“It was a bit slow and we gave it away too much.

“But maybe in the past that’s a game we might have lost 1-0 and we’d have been even more disappointed.

“We’ll put the point in the bag, move on to Boxing Day and look to get a victory then.”

Rovers were forced in to a change in the second half as Corry Evans was replaced by Bradley Johnson.

Evans, one of seven players recalled to the starting line-up, was limping for several minutes before being replaced after putting in two challenges, with Mowbray saying the injury was the result of a kick, rather than anything more severe.

He added: “I think it was more of a kick, a contact injury than a strain or a pull.

“Corry will be fine, I’m sure. He’s an experienced player and he knows his body well.

“I’m sure he’ll make himself available, but whether he’s can make the next game we’ll wait and see.

“We have a lot of options so will wait and see.”